Leadership Team:

Steve Sukup

Steve has been a Co-Owner of Sukup Manufacturing Company since 1978, a family-owned agricultural business that has been in business for over 40 years. Sukup Manufacturing Company manufactures grain handling equipment and bins for on the farm storage. It employs over 250 employees at the Sheffield, Iowa location and has six distribution centers in Nebraska, South Dakota, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas and Ohio. Sukup products are sold in all 50 states and internationally.

Born in Franklin County, Steve received a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering from Iowa State University. He is the recipient of the Professional Progress in Engineering Award from Iowa State University.

Steve Sukup spent 8 years as a State Representative and 3 years as Speaker Pro-Tem. Elected in 1994 to represent District 18, Franklin and Hardin Counties, in the Iowa House of Representatives. During his term in the legislature Steve was the point person for Business Economic Development Issues. He served as Vice Chair of the Labor and Industrial Relations Committee, his third and fourth years he served as Vice Chair of Appropriations Committee. Prior to this he Chaired the Infrastructure and Transportation Committee before going into his leadership position as Speaker Pro-Tem. Steve throughout his years as State Representative served on several committees; Administration & Rules, Education, Judiciary, and Ways & Means. He successfully floor-managed the Drug-Free Workplace Bill, House File 299 and the Heating Sales Tax Moratorium Bill, House File 1. He worked on product liability reform, 10% income tax reduction, and the elimination of the inheritance tax.

Steve Sukup was an Iowa Gubernatorial candidate in 2002, earning 32% of the primary vote, and sharing approximately two-thirds of the overall primary vote with Bob Vander Plaats.

He is a member of the Sheffield Development Corporation, Hampton Rotary, Zion Lutheran Church, Farm Bureau, Association of Business and Industry (for 30 years), and the Iowa Motor Truck Association (for 25 years), of which he is currently on the Board of Directors.

Steve and his wife, Vicki, live in Clear Lake, Iowa, and have three children - son, Nickolas, and daughters, Crystal and Emily.

Richard Johnson, State Co-Chairman

Richard D. Johnson served 23 years as the Auditor of State before retiring in 2003. Mr. Johnson received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Drake University, beginning his public service as the Sheldahl City Clerk in 1959. In 1964, Mr. Johnson began 11 years of service as the Mayor of Sheldahl, and went on to become the Director of Finance for the Department of Transportation’s Administration Division and the Director of the Department of Transportation’s Motor Vehicles Division.

Mr. Johnson was appointed to the position of Auditor of State in 1979 by Governor Ray and went on to become a six-time winner of statewide office, never losing an election.

Richard Johnson was the President of the National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers and Treasurers, and the first Iowan to serve as a member of the Auditing Standards Board of the American Institute of CPAs. He was also commissioned by the U.S. Department of State to help develop accounting and financial systems in new democracies in the former Soviet Union.

In Senate Resolution 155, Richard Johnson was recognized as a man of unwavering integrity, having “earned the respect of persons of both parties for his political courage and his lack of partisanship.”

Bernie Saggau, State Co-Chairman

Bernie Saggau was appointed Assistant Executive Director of the Iowa High School Athletic Association October 14, 1963, and was appointed to the position of Executive Director, September 9, 1967, a position he held until his retirement, January 1, 2005.

Bernie's background consists of being a teacher, coach, principal and business man. He is past president of the National Federation of State High School Associations. He was the Chairperson for the National Basketball Rules Committee for eight years and served on the Football Rules Committee for 25 years. He served on the United States Olympic House of Delegates Committee. Mr. Saggau was a recipient of the National High School Coaches Distinguished Award. He currently is a trustee of Buena Vista University. As a hobby, Bernie has refereed high school and college basketball and football games for 30 years.

The Board of Control of the Iowa High School Athletic Association, in 1989, established an award in his name. This award honors an outstanding citizen athlete (boy or girl) in every one of the 400 high school in the state of Iowa and each winner receives a beautiful plaque in his name.

Mr. Saggau was presented the Award of Merit from the National High School Athletic Directors Association, the highest honor presented to one individual each year. In 1996 he was selected as one of the top 20 individuals in the last 20 years to do the most for improving officiating in our country by Referee magazine.

Mr. Saggau most recently received the American Tradition Award; only the second individual to receive this prestigious award.

Mr. Saggau's vision, the signature of his career, was of a $13 million dollar, 26,000 square feet, Hall of Pride which officially opened in February 2005 in Des Moines, Iowa.

Bernie and his wife, Lois, have been married 53 years. They have three children and four grandchildren.

Ron Geiger, Economic Development Chair

Ron Geiger is President & CEO of Harker’s Distribution, Inc. in Le Mars, Iowa. Ron started as Controller in 1981. He earned his B.S.B.A. from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Executive Program. He received his C.P.A. designation in 1978.

Ron Geiger has been active in the Le Mars community having served as President of the Chamber of Commerce, Lions Club, Plymouth County Work Activity Center, chair of Teikyo Westmar University, treasurer of Floyd Valley Hospital Board of Trustees and has served as chair for the Iowa Association of Business and Industry which is a state wide organization. He is currently a board member of First National Bank in Le Mars, Iowa and the Iowa Taxpayers Association.

In 1989 he was named to the Des Moines Register’s Up and Comer List. Ron is a graduate of Leadership Iowa. In 1996, Ron was the Entrepreneur of the Year for Iowa/Nebraska. In 1999, he was the Financial Executive of the Year for the North Central Region of IMA. In 2002, Ron received the Iowa Leadership Award from the Iowa Association of Business and Industry.

Michael L. Duffy, Economic Development Committee

Michael L. Duffy is the Chairman and CEO of Per Mar Security Services in Davenport, Iowa. He started working in the family business in 1967, promoted to President in 1977 and Chairman and CEO in 2001.

Per Mar has been providing quality security services to residential and commercial customers since 1953, including electronic burglar and fire alarm systems, physical security guards, CCTV, background investigations and special event security.

Per Mar has 19 branch locations located throughout Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North Dakota and employs approximately 2,000.

Michael holds a Bachelor’s degree in business administration and criminal justice from St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa. He has conducted Crime Conferences for the U.S. Small Business Administration throughout the State of Iowa and has been a lecturer for several colleges in the state. In his more than 30 years as an entrepreneur and businessman, Michael Duffy has built and managed successful businesses and partnerships. He has also served as a community leader, supporting a wide variety of civic, educational and charitable causes in the Quad City area and throughout the State of Iowa. He presently serves on the boards of the Scott County Family YMCA, Handicapped Development Center, St. Ambrose University, US Bank, The Assumption High School Foundation, and Co-Chair of Palmer College of Chiropractic’s Capital Campaign.

Michael serves as the managing partner of several partnerships involved in the development and management of commercial real estate in a four state area

Michael and his wife, Linda, reside in Davenport and have 7 children.

Kitty Rehberg, Education Chair

Kitty Rehberg just completed her eighth year of service as an Iowa State Senator for District 12. Senator Rehberg was the Chair of the Education Appropriations Subcommittee, the Economic Growth Committee, and the Vice Chair of the Education Committee. In addition, she served on the Transportation, Local Government, Ways and Means, Appropriations, Natural Resources & Environment, and Rules & Administration Committees.

Senator Rehberg has participated in the organization of several political campaigns over the years including that of Jim Nussle for Congress, Joe Kremer for State Representative, and Dan Quayle for President. She is a past Director of Independence Community Schools and a member of several community organizations including Iowa Corn Growers, Pork Producers, and Soybean Associations, National Pork Producers’ Capitol Connection, and the Vice-Chair of Buchanan County Taxpayers Association.

Kitty and her husband, Franklin, have been married for forty-eight years and reside in Rowley, Iowa. They have three children and four grandchildren.

Stuart L. Weinstein, M.D., Health Care Chair

Dr. Weinstein is the Ignacio V. Ponseti Chair and Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at The University of Iowa. Dr. Weinstein received his A.B. Honors degree in Political Science and History from the University of Illinois in 1968. He received his medical degree from the University of Iowa in 1972. After interning in Internal Medicine at The University of California San Francisco, he returned to the University of Iowa for a residency in Orthopaedic Surgery. In 1976 he joined the faculty of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery of The University of Iowa.

Dr. Weinstein has published more than 145 scientific articles in peer review journals on a wide variety of pediatric orthopaedic conditions. He has edited three major textbooks including The Pediatric Spine: Principles and Practice; Lovell and Winter's Pediatric Orthopaedics (co-edited with Raymond Morrissy) and Turek's Orthopaedics (co-edited with Joseph Buckwalter). Dr. Weinstein's many contributions to orthopaedics have been recognized by his receipt of the Bristol-Myers Squibb/Zimmer Award for Distinguished Achievement in Orthoapedic Research, The Kappa Delta /Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation Clinical Research Award, The Russel Hibbs Award for Clinical Research given by the Scoliosis Research Society, The Arthur H. Heune Memorial Award, given by the St. Giles Foundation and The Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, in recognition of outstanding research contributions to pediatric orthopaedics. Dr. Weinstein was a recipient of an American, British, Canadian (ABC) Traveling Fellowship in 1985. He has been honored by memberships in National and Pediatric Orthopaedic Associations around the world including Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Great Britain and Argentina.

Dr. Weinstein is past president of The American Orthopaedic Association, The American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, and The United States National Action Network of the International Bone and Joint Decade. He has served as an Associate Editor and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. He is currently Chairman of The International Center for Orthopaedic Education (ICOE), Chairman of Doctors for Medical Liability Reform, and First Vice President of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Dale J. Andringa, M.D., Health Care Committee

Dale Andringa has been a physician for 27 years and has held a number of significant physician, insurance, and business leadership positions.

As a result of having the opportunity to look at the health care system through the eyes of physician, insurer, and businessman, Dr. Andringa has become an ardent exponent of the application of Lean Enterprise manufacturing principles to the health care system -- to maximize efficiency, performance, and profitability.

Dr. Andringa began his practice of primary care internal medicine in 1979 and was instrumental in merging and growing his practice into what eventually became Integra Health.

As vice president and chief medical officer of Integra Health, an entity with over 150 primary care physicians at 62 clinic sites across Iowa, Dr. Andringa had responsibility for quality oversight, physician governance, and process improvement initiatives.

His experience with the insurance industry began in 1985 as a founder and member of the board of directors of HMO Iowa. And, in 1989 he was named Medical Director of American Republic Insurance Company, headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa.

Dr. Andringa also has extensive leadership credentials in the field of medicine. He served as chairman of the Board of Clinical Governors for the Iowa Health System from 1995 to 1997. In that capacity, Dr. Andringa was responsible for quality oversight for all hospitals in the Iowa Health System.

In 1986, at the age of 35, Dr. Andringa became the youngest attending physician to be elected President of the Medical Staff (500-plus physicians) at Iowa Methodist Medical Center. As such, he was responsible for medical staff functions and medical staff quality oversight.

From 1985 to 1997, Dr. Andringa served on the Board of Trustees of the Iowa Methodist Medical Center (later through merger, Central Iowa Health System) in Des Moines, Iowa.

In 1997, Dr. Andringa joined his family’s business, Vermeer Manufacturing Co., in Pella, Iowa, as Medical Director, and Director, Strategic Improvement. In these roles, he helped manage Vermeer’s 7,000-member self-funded health plan and contributed to occupational Health and Safety efforts. As well, he had the opportunity to be active in new product development and process improvement utilizing Lean Enterprise manufacturing principles.

De Byerly, Grassroots Coordinator

De Byerly is an influential voice in Iowa Republican politics. De was elected chair of the Cerro Gordo County Central Committee In 1998. Later that same year, De was elected to the Republican Party of Iowa State Central Committee where she served until 2002.

De has worked for many state and national campaigns, including the 1998 gubernatorial campaign of Jim Ross Lightfoot and the presidential campaigns of John Kasich and Steve Forbes in 1999 and 2000. In 2003, De was asked to serve as the State Organization Coordinator of the Iowa Bush/Cheney ’04 campaign. Her efforts were instrumental in making Iowa a “red” state for the first time in two decades. De is passionate about the political process and has commented that, “politics is the most exciting activity that a citizen can be involved in.”

De lives in Mason City with her husband, Bob.

De and her husband, Bob, have been married 43 years. They have two daughters and two grandchildren.

Members of The Vander Plaats for Governor Council of Advisors:

Mike Wells, Finance Chair

Mike Wells was born in Sioux City, Iowa and started working in his family’s business, Wells’ Dairy, Inc., in 1977. Upon graduating from Morningside College in 1981 with a BS in Business Administration, he joined the Wells’ Blue Bunny sales force. Mike has held several positions at Wells’ and is currently President of Demand Group.

Mike is past President, and current Member of the Iowa Dairy Foods Association. He serves on the boards of several non-profit organizations at the local and state level, and is a member of the Retailer Owned Food Distributors & Associates (ROFDA) and the Iowa Grocery Industry Association (IGIA).

Mike and his wife Cheryl reside in Le Mars, Iowa, the Ice Cream Capitol of the World, and have been married for 27 years. They have four children; Michael, Tiffany, Rachel, and Matthew.

Dan Moore, Secretary

Dan Moore was born in Des Moines, Iowa and is currently a partner in the Sioux City law firm of Berenstein, Moore, Berenstein, Heffernan and Moeller, L.L.P. Mr. Moore received his B.A. degree in 1974 and J.D. in 1977 from Drake University. He is past President of The Sioux City Lawyers Club and currently serves on the Sioux City Planning and Zoning Commission (Chairman, 1985-88) and the Board of Adjustment. Mr. Moore was the President of the Woodbury County Tax Research Conference (now Taxpayers Research Council) in 1994-1995 and currently serves on their Board of Directors.

Mr. Moore was originally named in the 1995-96 edition of The Best Lawyers in America and is now named in the category of real estate law.

Mr. Moore is a Governor on the Iowa State Bar Association’s Board of Governors, representing Judicial District 3B. He is a member of the Real Estate and Title Law Section (Chairman, 1996-1997) and the Title Standards Committee of the Iowa State Bar Association.

Dave Van Wyk, Treasurer

Dave Van Wyk was born and raised in Sheldon Iowa. After graduating from Sheldon High School, he attended Northwestern College where he graduated in 1981 with a degree in Business Economics.

Dave began his career with Van Wyk, Inc. in 1981. Van Wyk, Inc. is a privately owned trucking operation that specializes in transporting temperature controlled truckload shipments throughout the United States and Canada. Dave has worked his way through the organization and in 1995 was named President of Van Wyk, Inc. He is now a co-owner of both Van Wyk, Inc. and Van Wyk Transportation Services (VTS), a transportation brokerage subsidiary.

Dave currently serves on the boards of the Iowa Motor Truck Association, The Truckload Carriers Association, and family owned companies Link Manufacturing and Maintainer Corporation of Iowa.

Dave and his wife Gina live in Sheldon with their three children; Kayla, Kelly, and Erik.

Mel Adema

Mel Adema received his degree from the University of South Dakota/Springfield in 1968, and moved to Iowa to become a teacher and coach. In 1974, Mel joined the insurance industry where his professional accomplishments have been recognized through the receipt of the Sales Manager of the Year Award, and the National Master Agency Award, which is presented to the top 2% of insurance industry agencies.

Mel is the former President of the Iowa General Agents and Managers Association and Chair of the Ethics Committee. He has served on the Sioux City Board of Education and the Sioux City Airport Board.

In 2000, Mel served as Woodbury County Chairman for the George W. Bush Presidential Campaign, and realized a Republican victory in a heavily populated Democratic and Independent voting county, with Sioux City being one of two major metropolitan victories in Iowa. He served as Woodbury Campaign Manager for Bob Vander Plaats’ gubernatorial campaign in 2002. Mel and his wife, Norma, Co-Chaired the Woodbury County Campaign for President Bush again in 2004.

Mel and Norma have been married 39 years, and reside in Sioux City, Iowa. They have three adult children; Kristi, Kendra, and Kyle.

Mary Bechler

Mary A. Bechler is the Executive Director of CNOS, PC. She started her career with Northwest Iowa Orthopaedics, PC in 1967, which later merged to become CNOS, PC.

She is a Fellow in the American College of Medical Practice Executives and is a member of the Medical Group Managers Association and BONES (Orthopaedic Group Managers).

Mary also serves as the Executive Director of the Iowa Orthopaedic Society, Inc. and in that position is actively involved in the Board of Councilors of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Mary is a lifetime resident of Norwest Iowa. She holds a BA in Business Administration from Briar Cliff College and also is a graduate of the Dale Carnegie Human Relations and Management Courses.

Mary is an active member of the community. Business memberships include: Siouxland Women’s Professional Network, Dakota Valley Business Council, and the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce. Mary is also very active in the Morningside Reformed Church and the denominational activities of the Reformed Church in America.

She has also received the Iowa Outstanding Medical Office Administrator award in 1995 from the Iowa Medical Society; The Who’s Who in American Universities and Colleges in 1991, the Outstanding Continuing Education Student of the Year award from Briar Cliff College in 1991 and was a nominee for the Women of Excellence in 1986.

John Den Hartog

John Den Hartog was born in Hospers, Iowa and served in the Armed Forces from 1958 through 1960, in Korea. In 1966, John started his own business selling hardware and farm equipment for the hog and cattle industry. He purchased H & S Manufacturing and the VW Boat Dock Company in 1976 and began to manufacture steel hog equipment and redwood/steel frame boat docks. By 1990, the business had expanded to include the manufacturing of plastic.

John retired from Den Hartog Industries, Inc. in 1998 and sold the business to his three children. Den Hartog Industries, Inc. is still family-owned and operated, and has grown from a small metal manufacturer to a leader in plastics manufacturing. With facilities now over 275,000 square feet and approximately 300 employees, the company continues to expand each year.

For the past 13 years, John has served on the board of Northwestern College. He also serves on the boards of First Reformed Church in Hospers and Words of Hope in Grand Rapids, Michigan. John continues to volunteer for the MOC Floyd Valley School system, and is an Honorary Chair of the Capital Fundraising Campaign for Orange City Health System.

John and his wife Ann reside in Hospers, Iowa and have been married for 50 years. They are blessed with one son, two daughters, eleven grandchildren, and are expecting three great grand children in the spring of 2005.

Todd Moss

Todd Moss was born in Sioux Center, Iowa where his father was an agribusiness man. His father’s former business, now called Vet Pharm, is part of the Trans Ova family of affiliated businesses.

Todd is a first generation college graduate receiving degrees from Iowa State University in 1983 and 1986. At Iowa State, Moss was a member of the Dean’s List and the Tau Sigma Delta Honorary Fraternity for Architecture and Allied Arts.

Todd has been a community activist and has served in numerous leadership roles, including Chairman of the Sioux City Planning and Zoning commission, Mayor Pro-Tem and City Council member, and chairman of the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. He is also a Paul Harris Fellow in the Rotary Club.

Todd was active in Sioux City's Vision Iowa project, The Tyson Event Center, both as Mayor Pro-Tem and later as a member of the project Executive Committee.

Todd is an award winning architect. His work has appeared in Iowa Architect Magazine, and he is currently President and CEO of Cannon Moss Brygger & Associates, P.C. an architectural firm with offices in Sioux City, Iowa and Grand Island, Nebraska.

Moss and his wife Rhonda are parents to three sons; Corey, Micah and Madison.

Peter Wagner

Peter W. Wagner has been in publishing since 1962 when he established his first paper at Sibley, located in the northwest corner of Iowa. His Sheldon, Iowa, N’West Iowa REVIEW has been selected as Iowa’s Newspaper of the Year 15 of the last 22 years and as Best Mid-Size Weekly in the Nation the last eight years in a row by the National Newspaper Association. The American Journalism Review stated The REVIEW “is arguably the best weekly newspaper in America” while the New York Times, in a story about the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, said The N’West Iowa REVIEW provided coverage as good as any daily newspaper.

A nationally recognized speaker and trainer, Wagner has achieved a solid reputation as a community development specialist. He has been a featured presenter on community growth and development at over 200 newspaper and community development meetings across the United States and Canada during the last 10 years.

In addition to their publishing interests, Peter, his wife Connie, Son Jeff and daughter-in-law Myrna also operate White Wolf Web, a separate corporation printing full color newspapers and circulars.

Wagner has served as chairman of the Iowa Newspaper Association Marketing Committee and until recently represented Region Six on the National Newspaper Board of Directors. Peter and Connie are members of the First Presbyterian Church where he teaches an adult Sunday School Class, leads a Thursday morning prayer group and recently completed a three-year term as an elder.

Along with his publishing interests Wagner enjoys garden scale model railroading, reading murder mysteries, preaching and boating on beautiful Lake Okoboji. He is the author of six books and producer of four video training tapes for the newspaper industry.